Articles

November 20, 2021 MY SATURDAY AFTERNOON’S THOUGHTS Yesterday’s Rittenhouse verdict was, yet, another reminder as to how divided we are as a country. There were people on social media arguing both sides of the case. There doesn’t seem to be anything brings us to come together anymore. In order to preserve my peace, I took myself off of social media for the rest of the day. I woke up feeling much better, yet, I’m still concerned for this country, for this world. I decided to cheer myself up by putting up my Christmas decorations. While decorating my home for the holiday season, I had put on Mariah Carey’s song, All… Read More

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* THIS IS ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY CANCER… Yesterday would’ve been my grandmother’s 105th birthday. Unfortunately, she died last year from complications from COVID-19. It was difficult knowing that of all the other ailments my grandmother faced, it was this coronavirus that would take her out. Even though it was early in the pandemic and most weren’t allowed to see their loved ones during their final days/hours/minutes, I was fortunate to have one last opportunity to see my grandmother after she was put her in hospice care. I knew what was coming. I knew she would decline rapidly once they removed the oxygen supply that was keeping her alive.… Read More

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This past weekend, the United States commemorated the 20th year since the horrific terrorist attack on our country. I can remember that morning as though it was just last year. I was living in New York at the time preparing for a busy day. I was in standing in the mirror, putting on my mascara when I heard the breaking news on my television. “A plane has crashed into the World Trade Center.” I ran to look at the TV and saw the images of damage to the building. As we now know, this was only the beginning of a horrific day. There’s no need to revisit that day because… Read More

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“YOU HAVE CANCER” are the 3 most feared words in 7 different languages. No one wants to hear them, however, it became my reality on October 8, 2009, the birthday of my deceased sister, who happened to pass away from cancer. I couldn’t believe I was hearing those words from my doctor. However, I didn’t just hear those three words. I heard, “YOU HAVE CANCER and you don’t have a husband yet to support you through this. YOU HAVE CANCER and you don’t have your white picket fence and 2.5 kids. YOU HAVE CANCER…and you really haven’t lived. YOU HAVE CANCER…and you may die.” I was scared to death. I… Read More

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As I opened my eyes this morning, I couldn’t help but smile at the singing of the birds and the hoo-ing of the owl. For a quick moment, it felt like any other day. Unfortunately, that feeling didn’t last long. Reality set in and I was reminded of the war we’re in against the coronavirus, COVID-19. I was reminded as to how I’m being isolated in my home, away from the outside world. This isn’t my first rodeo. I’d experienced being on lockdown when I battled cancer, twice. However, it feels different this time because it’s not just me. Everyone is on lockdown, too. These are challenging times to say… Read More

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I love music. I mean, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MUSIC. It stirs my soul. It’s joyful. Nothing can compare to it, especially when it comes to the smooth, baritone voice of Will Downing. I’m not sure how many of you have heard his voice or are familiar with him but he is amazing. He is a Jazz/R&B musician. I have loved him and his music since 1990. That’s twenty-seven years! That’s twenty seven years of attending concerts all over the country. Just recently, I took a road trip to Detroit to see him perform at Chene Park. I would have to say that I’ve probably seen him over twenty times. Did… Read More

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Last week, I won tickets to a musical concert from a local radio station. I was so excited because one of the performers is my favorite male R&B singer. However, this wasn’t the first time I’d won something from the radio station. Actually, I win quite often. I’ve won tickets to comedy shows, concerts, CDs, etc. Because of my success on the radio, people ask me, “How is it that you keep winning? What exactly are you doing?” I respond the best way I know how, “I keep winning because I keep participating.” I participate in many of the various contests they have. If they ask listeners to call the… Read More

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We are in a crisis…a global crisis. COVID-19 has shaken the entire world. Never in our lifetime have we experienced anything like this. It seem surreal. It’s like we’re living in one of those Bible stories you read but never thought you’d experience in real life. Everything seems bad. Each day, there’s an increasing number of people confirmed with the virus (and we won’t hit the peak until May…at the earliest). People are dying. People are losing their jobs. People are scared. These are uncertain times and many people are experiencing fear, anxiety, confusion, helplessness, and hopelessness. This pandemic brings back memories of my two cancer experiences. I was scared… Read More

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This was something put on my heart and I wanted to share. I am reading the book, The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield and I ran across something that spoke to me. Here’s an excerpt from the book: “How many people do you know who are obsessed with their work, who are type A or have stress related diseases and who can’t slow down? They can’t slow down because they use their routine to distract themselves, to reduce life to only its practical considerations. And they do this to avoid recalling how uncertain they are about why they live.” Those words caused me to pause and reflect. How many people… Read More

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Most of us are familiar with the line made famous by the Evil Queen, “Mirror, Mirror on the wall. Who’s the fairest of them all?” This quote comes from a children’s story, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Recently, I had my own ‘mirror, mirror’ experience. I wasn’t asking the mirror a question. Instead, I was standing in front of it yelling, “I AM NOT EQUIPPED!” That was the thought I was having in that moment and I felt the need to verbalize it. I needed to say it out loud so I could see if what I was saying made any sense. I needed to know if those words… Read More

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